June 2012 Douglas J Merrey Consultant to IWMI

1. IFAD agricultural water management investments in “challenging contexts”: IFAD context, commonalities across countries, & recommendations June 2012 Douglas J Merrey Consultant to IWMI

2. Overview • The IWMI Project on water management in “challenging contexts” • IFAD’s organization: structure, culture, reforms • Case studies: Analytical framework • Common findings • Recommendations & way forward

3. Improving Sustainability of Impacts of Agricultural Water Management Interventions in Challenging Contexts • “Challenging”: post-conflict, weak institutions • 5 countries (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Ghana) • Case studies of IFAD AWM investment projects • Fieldwork, analysis, development of guidelines, recommendations, training modules • Goal: Help IFAD improve project quality

4. IFAD Context • Investments target agricultural development for lifting people out of poverty • Next 3 years: $4.6B to lift 80m people • Rhetorical emphasis: improve equity, gender, “learning organization” • Recent analysis—Significant scaling up of AWM investments in recent COSOPs: +/-25% of total investments • Does IFAD have the technical capacity to support this level of investment?

6. Observations-IFAD • IFAD reform process: decentralization of responsibility to CPMs [& CPMs to countries] • Direct responsibility for policy dialogue, planning, implementation at program & project level • Replaces contracting out eg, to World Bank, UNOPS • Dependence on consultants—”intellectual capital” and pathway to influencing IFAD investments • Weak technical support from HQ • PTA as “the enemy”—quality reviews of new projects at a late stage: “gatekeeper” • Process to change this—IWMI project contributes

7. Defining context… Targeted community Targeted resource AWM intervention Implementing agency Funding agency Recipient government SYSTEM OF STUDY Livelihood improvement Sustainaibility Fairness& legitimacy Adaptability Resilience Agricultural growth OUTCOMES Institutional context Biophysical context Political-economic context Cultural context Discursive context External actors CONTEXT (local and macro)

8. Analytical Framework

9. Broad Challenges from Research • Partial and poorly directed ‘community’ participation and buy-in • Poor communication: within donor agencies and between projects and government implementers • Unbalanced attention to ‘hardware’ than ‘software’ • Lack of downward accountability [ie, to clients] • Weaknesses in design, supervision and monitoring • Not multi-sectoral—work in sectoral “silos”

10. Broad Challenges cont’d • Inadequate technical support • Lack of expertise for using community driven development approaches • Poor integration with other project components (marketing) • Limited implementation of laws and policies • Gender inequity • Weak local institutions [elite capture]

11. Design & Implementation • Project design: well crafted on paper, but goals fail to match reality; proposal design team external; weak consultative/participatory approach • No continuity design to implementation team • Infrastructure design and construction: often faulty; challenges in personnel capacity – few well-trained engineers • Supervision focuses in financial & physical progress not achieving project goals [poverty, livelihoods, equity]

12. Delays • Start-ups extremely slow: bureaucratic process; funds disbursement; changes in costs • Politicization of project: taints procurement; tendering; implementation; • Capacity challenges on part of local government project staff to meet project criteria

13. Operation & maintenance, sustainability, productivity • Community hand-over and ownership • Funds for maintenance insufficient • Training/capacity • Disengagement after hand-over Lack of sustained productivity

14. Recommendations • Project design include adequate time and funds for capacity building • Project design process should be more consultative – with national programs and with communities • “Ownership” at national, local government, community levels • Promote multi-sectoral involvement in design & implementation

15. Recommendations • Find solutions to recurring problems – • Capture and share lessons learned • Learning process should be built into projects • Improve KM across projects, countries, regions • Invest in strengthening local institutions • Engage with government, stakeholders • Training on engaging with communities and adapting project design and implementation to local context

16. Recommendations • Test new approaches to address gender and other social equity issues: more than quotas • Design mechanisms for more downward accountability • M&E • Stronger role of FO in contracting for infrastructure • Build on existing institutions & knowledge • Continued and targeting engagement after hand-over

17. Way forward • Strengthen capacity of regular consultants—IFAD “intellectual capital” • Consultant roster under development—intended to support CPMs and projects • IWMI learning module on community engagement-to be tested in Nepal, Ghana • IWMI & PTA--Major Consultant Learning Event planned for November in Rome • Promote innovative types of investments

18. Thank you!